Calm Before the Storm
by TurtleWaffle
Summary: A lighthearted look at the two weeks before Shinji arrived at Tokyo-3 from the perspective of my three favorite characters in the series. A project to keep me motivated and resume writing. Rated T for minor adult themes and language.


(A/N): This is a fan-fiction of Neon Genesis Evangelion. All copywritten materials belong to their respective owners.

(A/N 2): Yes, I know, I'm writing another fan-fiction at the same time. This idea popped into my head while doing yard work and listening to music. Review and I hope you enjoy!

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><p>It was two weeks before the Third Child were to come back home to Tokyo-3. The calm before the storm was during that two weeks.<p>

...Or, at least, so thought Shigeru Aoba. He didn't do anything spectacular at the announcement of the announcement that the Ikari boy was coming towards his workplace. His alarm went off at 5:00 AM as usual, stirring from his sleep, tossing the covers from his bed onto the floor of his apartment.

His apartment was exactly as expected; a mess. Other than the crack of light being shone through the windows, it was fairly lonely and dark. Dirty clothes were tossed on the floor without a care in the world, empty soda and beer cans lined the desks and tables, and various posters of beautiful women hung everywhere. Besides the clothes and cans and posters, there wasn't much of anything. His apartment was lonely, secluded, and he was happy just the way it was.

The man in his early 20s rose to his feet, taking his phone off of his nightstand, awakening it and shuffling through to an app for his music, scrolling, scrolling until he found a specific song; Naked, by Goo Goo Dolls. He smiled to himself, letting out a happy sigh as he plugged in the phone towards a portable dock, cranking up the volume as the opening began.

He tossed off his boxers, cracking his knuckles and his neck as he wandered into the mess of a bathroom. He admired himself in the mirror, taking in his vanity as he started the shower to start his day. He shook his head side to side, taking the hair from his eyes. Looking over towards the shower, he pulled the curtain aside, stepping in to embrace the warm water now coursing his body, humming along to the music playing from his bedroom.

Minutes later, the young man turned off the shower, wrapping his body in a tower, allowing himself to dry, letting the song loop, humming along nevertheless. With his body now dry, he dragged a comb through his hair, evening out the shoulder-length hair he never bothered to get rid of since college. He took a can from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, deodorant, spraying himself down in preparation for a long day of work.

With his body cleaned and his hair done, he went back to the bedroom, putting on his boxers and socks for the uniform he had to put on. He dug back in the nightstand, finding a keepsake watch, checking the time. 5:19 AM. He had 41 minutes before the morning train leaves and he's stuck at home. And so with a quick step. he rushed towards the kitchen, dropping two pieces of toast in a toaster, taking butter from the fridge, resting it on the counter as he poured himself a piping hot cup of coffee. But something bothered him; his music being interrupted by his phone ringing at the same volume as his music, the tone filling his apartment. In a rage, he called to nobody in particular, "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

And so he ended up back in his bedroom, phone in hand, answering, "What?"

"Hey, Shigeru. I'm having car trouble. Mind if I come up?" It was his close friend at work, his personal anime geek, Makoto Hyuga.

"Fine. I got warm coffee." he responded, somewhat thankful they live relatively close to one another, but slightly bothered that his friend has all the car troubles in the world though neither of them have the experience to fix it themselves.

"Thanks." Makoto responded, hanging up, the loud music playing right in Shigeru's ear before he plugged his phone back in.

With a groan, Shigeru returned to the kitchen of his apartment, pouring a second warm cup for his dear friend, the two slices of toast popping from the toaster. He took a paper plate from a cupboard, plating the two slices of bread, buttering them and setting them on the kitchen table. He took his cup as well, placing that on the table as well, then going into his liquor cabinet, removing a bottle of Jim Beam White, pouring two shots and spiking his coffee with it, as well as pouring in the standard coffee mate to hide the flavor, taking a drink. He let out a happy sigh, taking a bite of his toast, enjoying his breakfast only minutes before his friend was to arrive.

And, almost like a signal, minutes later his dear friend arrived. Shigeru tossed the paper plate in the trash, answering the door for the glasses-clad friend of his. Makoto's hands were still in his pocket as he wandered into the mess of an apartment that was Shigeru's home. Makoto sneered, still critical of how he kept his home, "I can see you haven't changed since college." Makoto rolled his eyes, offering over the coffee. "How do you take it?"

"Black." was Makoto's one-word response, Shigeru handing him the cup, checking his watch. 5:41 AM. Makoto commented when he saw Shigeru's relaxed expression change to one of a mild panic. "Hurry up."

Shigeru took the phone from the dock, passing it towards his bed as he rushed to change into his tan uniform, tying his shoes, pocketing his phone, his cigarettes, his lighter, and his wallet. And one last time, to be safe, he checked the watch. 5:47 AM. Right on time. He rushed back to the kitchen, noticing Makoto still waiting. Without saying a word, Shigeru led his trusted friend towards the elevator, down to the garage, and into the maroon-colored Sedan he bought from a used car dealership, flooring it towards the train station, finally reaching it at 5:56 AM, getting out of the car in a hurry, noticing their mutual female friend waiting for them; Maya Ibuki. She adjusted the white leggings of her uniform, picking her head up and waving at her two friends as they approached her, thankful she isn't kept waiting.

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><p>It was just any other day for the young otaku that was Makoto Hyuga, waking up by his own accord with no assistance from an alarm. In contrast to what Shigeru's room looked like, his was at least fairly clean, his windows opened and the blinds away, letting the sunrise shine in and illuminate posters of various films and animes, a Highlander poster hanging above his bed.<p>

With the sunlight shining in his eyes, Makoto woke up, dragging his fingers through his hair. He rolled over and checked the time; 5:15 AM. Sleeping in a little never hurts, he thought, getting up and going into the bathroom.

When he was in the bathroom, he looked himself over in the mirror, bending down after he started his sink, the water coming down and washing his face and hair, not worrying about the rest of himself. He looked up at the mirror, drying his face off with the undershirt he slept in, taking it off and tossing it into the clothes bin for his laundry. He sighed, reaching into the cabinet and grabbing a bottle of cologne, muttering to himself, "She won't say yes to me..." as he sprayed it under his arms and into his chest.

He didn't bother doing too much with his cleaning routine, beyond brushing his teeth after he sprayed on his cologne, wandering back into his bedroom, looking at a framed photograph of the subject of his admiration; Cpt. Misato Katsuragi, his boss. He was her direct underling, but he liked her more than beyond a professional manner, but he doubted himself. However, he saw his photograph again, taking a deep breath and mumbling, "You can do it, Makoto... You can do it."

The young man was in the kitchen, taking a frozen bottle of water and pouring in tap water to melt the ice a little bit, cracking his neck and grabbing a bowl from a cupboard and taking a gallon of milk from his fridge. He went into another cupboard, taking out a box of cereal and pouring it into the bowl, as well as milk to complement his breakfast, taking a drink of water. He kept diving further into his breakfast, eating away, then getting up and washing off the bowl and putting it back in the dishwasher.

With the bottle of water in hand, he went back into the bedroom, tossing it onto his bed and going into his closet, taking out a freshly-pressed tan uniform, putting on the socks first, then dressing himself in the uniform. He put on his glasses as well, taking his cell phone and wallet with him, grabbing the bottle of water again and a house key as he walked out of the apartment, locking it behind him as he walked out, going towards the stairs that took him into the parking garage.

Off in a far corner was a beat-up pickup truck that Makoto had as a hand-me-down from his dad to him, one of few things to remember him by. Though he may be resentful of him, he didn't really care, it ran well enough. ...Or so he thought.

Climbing into the driver's seat and sliding the keys into the ignition, he tried starting it, only to get engine sputtering in response. Start? Sputter. Start? Sputter. In a heated anger, he kicked the horn of the truck, making a loud honk, digging into his pocket for his phone, surfing through his contacts until he finally reached his best friend; Shigeru Aoba. He pressed the "call" button, waiting for a moment for a response, met with the angry "What?".

"Hey, Shigeru. I'm having car trouble. Mind if I come up?" Makoto asked, hoping his friend would be sympathetic towards him.

"Fine. I got warm coffee." his friend responded. Makoto let out a sigh of relief to himself, thanking his trusted friend and hanging up, getting up and out of the truck, slamming the door. Thankfully, Shigeru didn't even live a block away, a short walk.

And a short walk it was, entering the apartment, noticing Shigeru still in his boxers, taking the mug of black coffee and drinking as he waited for his friend to get dressed, then the two of them going towards the parking garage again, and into the maroon sedan that Shigeru was driving.

Despite his close friend's relaxed nature, he was a very angry and aggressive driver, even more since he was in a hurry to get towards the train station, running red lights, feet away from hitting another car, inches away from hitting innocent people, even driving into a bird on their floored path towards the station. Somehow, Shigeru didn't even seem to notice his erratic behavior, which was very worrisome towards his passenger, who was constantly looking ahead, calling out obstacles towards his driver, who seemed to blatantly ignore his concern.

Despite the rushed drive, they made it long enough to arrive at the station, getting out of the sedan and throwing up on the pavement, out of eyeshot of the beauty that way Maya Ibuki, her hair done in a bob, not noticing the two men until they started approaching them. Maya waved at them first, Makoto raising his hand wearily, giving a weak wave back, Shigeru responding by plopping down on a bench and awaiting their ride.

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><p>Mondays. Somehow, she was the only person in the world to be peachy-keen on a Monday. Somehow, the one and only Maya Ibuki was prepared for the start of the week all over again. It didn't stop the pleasant demeanor she bore.<p>

Shuffling awake, she held a little, brown teddy bear, probably from when she was a little girl. One eye was missing, the other being a black button. She loved it nonetheless, kissing its forehead and setting the little bear down as she stood up, stretching. With a swift movement, the clips of the bra were removed, falling to the ground, as well as her panties.

She was in her bathroom, hanging a bathrobe from a hanger on the door, as well as a floral towel, stepping into the warm water with a razor for her legs. With the water drenching her and her legs smooth, her short shower was finished, leaving ample time for whatever she desired.

Her temptations were simple, going into the fridge and taking out a gallon bottle of sweet tea, pouring it in a lidded cup. In her cupboard sat a Styrofoam cup reserved for ramen, her warm breakfast of champions, pouring in water and setting it in the microwave as she took out her uniform from her laundry room. Thankfully, she ironed early, getting changed while she waited for her breakfast.

...And it was readied with the sounds of her microwave beeping, sitting in the microwave still. Her uniform was clean, freshly washed, pressed, ironed, only waiting for her use, which she did when she changed and started on her breakfast, slurping on the mixture of noodles and assorted vegetables. Her tea sat in her cup, waiting as she took a drink from it. Thankfully, it stirred her awake a little bit more, sending a small jolt of energy through her to wake her up more for her day at work.

She tossed the Styrofoam cup in the garbage, taking the tin cup with her, drinking more as she went back into her bedroom, taking her bike with her as she tossed the purse over her shoulder and pocketing her phone in the skirt with the uniform, wheeling the bike down towards the ground level.

In comparison towards her two male friends, she was early, already out the door by 5:30. Though it may be slower to get to the train station by bike rather than by car, it still was far from a far ride, humming to herself as she look over the city that she lived in; Tokyo-3. In stark contrast, it was impossible to believe that this city was only built in 15 years, well after Second Impact almost destroyed humanity. It filled the technophile with a strong pride of her city, thankful and happy with her place in the world.

It only took a few minutes, but she was already at the train station, leaning the bike against a bench, taking out her phone and surfing through her apps, taking out a pair of earbuds from another pocket, forgetting to take them out from another day. She plugged them into her phone, hitting the shuffle button, ending up with the instrumental Faraway by Apocalyptica, letting the piano-driven opening fill her hearing, looking around, then back down at her phone. 5:40 AM. 20 minutes before the train is supposed to get here. What was there to do that wasn't idly waiting for the train to arrive before work?

She rolled her eyes, getting back on her bike, pocketing the phone and riding off towards a convenience store down the street. Even though half of the world was destroyed, Circle K had plenty of business. She walked inside, going right for the soda machine hugging the wall, taking the trademarked 44oz cup, filling it with an ice-cold Pepsi in alternative towards her iced tea, even going on a stretch and grabbing a granola bar to satisfy herself as a snack.

The clerk was exhausted after a graveyard shift, hoping the NERV officer would be his final customer for the morning. Almost with a grumble, the cashier muttered, "215.71." The young officer removed her ID card, which doubled as a debit card, scanning it and entering the information, pocketing the bar and walking out with cold soda in hand. Without a second thought, she manned the bike again, riding back towards her place on the bench.

The bike was stowed again beneath the bench, sipping on her drink as she watched as the reckless duo barreled towards the train station, making their way to their parking spot. She saw Shigeru get out, as well as Makoto, who was hunched over, hurling from the ride he received. As a friendly gesture, she waved at them, responded with Makoto's exhausted wave and Shigeru doing nothing, the two taking the opposing bench facing her, still waiting for the train. Maya noticed the terrible shape they were in, making no second thought to comment. "You two look awful."

"Don't be surprised. Makoto had car trouble and I had two shots of Jim Beam in my coffee." Shigeru answered for his dazed friend. Maya's expression grew more concerned for her two friends.

"Are you sure that's entirely healthy? They're gonna test you someday and you might end up failing. Then what?" Maya questioned Shigeru.

"He'll be a hobo." Makoto answered for Shigeru, being a snide smartass. Shigeru simply rolled her eyes as Maya giggled.

Their small talk was interrupted by the train to work barreling down the rails, stopping before the three, the doors opening. Maya stood first, Shigeru being gentlemanly and mockingly at the same time, "Ladies first." Maya led the three, sitting down on the bench, followed by Makoto, who walked directly into Shigeru's humor, who took up the rear, looking around and noticing that the station was empty besides themselves. The doors shut again, then the train moved, taking the three towards their place of work.


End file.
